Indoor Summer Fun Ideas {part 3} + SUMMER GIVEAWAY {closed}

Today I’m excited to have Alex of Alex Haralson here sharing some fabulous indoor summer fun ideas! Have fun even when the weather doesn’t co-operate! There are also other fun new posts up today:

Pottery Barn Knock off Pillow by For What Its Worth

Pipe Cleaner Fireworks by Hoyby Crafts

Indoor Summer Fun Ideas by Alex Haralson on Nap-Time Creations

Another way to help you beat the heat with Indoor summer Fun is to make ICE CREAM? Want to win the ultimate Ice Cream giveaway? Check this out!

Cuisinart ICE-30BC Pure Indulgence 2-Quart Automatic Frozen Yogurt, Sorbet, and Ice Cream Maker ($77.95 Price / $165 Value):

Tovolo Glide-A-Scoop Ice Cream Tub – Pistachio($15)

Tovolo Tilt Up Ice Cream Scoop – Chili Pepper($11)

Tovolo Ice Cream Pop Molds – Set of 4($10.99)

Meri Meri Ice Cream Van with Cups and Spoons, 12-Pack($15.99)

Total Value $140

Winner will have choice of $140 Amazon or Paypal

Giveaway Sponsored by:

About A Mom
Simply Stacie
A Nut in a Nutshell
Mom Spark
Consumer Queen
In the Kitchen with KP
A Helicopter Mom
Nap-Time Creations
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a Rafflecopter giveaway

Now let’s check out what Alex has for us…

Hi, I’m Alex! I blog at AlexHaralson.com. I am so excited to be guest posting here for Emily’s Summer Fun Series!

For those of you who don’t know me, I live in sunny and hot Las Vegas. About 8 months out of the year it is great weather, although did you know it gets super windy? Right now, is what we would call the wicked hot months. 🙂 Temps are regularly in the 100’s which makes it already in the 80’s or 90’s by the time you wake up! So summer fun doesn’t always involve going outside for us.

Today I want to share with you some fun and different activities you can do inside when it’s too hot – or maybe in your case too stormy- to go outside.

In no particular order…

Free tours – check to see if your city or surrounding areas offer free tours. Here in Las Vegas, we have Anderson Dairy and Ethel M Chocolate Factory. Take some friends and have a fun afternoon.

Bubbles in the bathtub/shower – take off clothes you don’t want to get sticky and messy and let them blow bubbles at the wall, at each other, or blow the bubbles for them so they can pop them.

Library storytime/reading program – It’s always nice to be indoors, but get out of the house. Plus I like to let someone else run the AC full blast and save my pennies. hehe. Most libraries have a story time for young kids. The woman who does ours is fantastic! Afterwards we pick out new books for the week and do the puzzles they have there. Basically just linger as long as the boys are behaving 🙂 The library also has a reading chart and when they finish the kids get a pass to the Shark Reef at Mandalay Bay, another great indoor activity here.

“Indoor Swimming” aka taking a bath 🙂 This is a great way to cool down if you’re coming in from doing errands in the hot car. Have some special toys that make ‘indoor swimming’ different from taking a regular bath to make it more special.

Kid Karaoke – blast some Pandora or Kids Bop or whatever that’s called and sing along!

Drive up movie – either decorate a box to look like a car or simply grab a laundry basket and watch a movie. Pop some popcorn too!

Window art/learning activity – I found this cursive display sheet, you know like the ones a teacher would put up in the classroom, in the clearance section for $0.50! So I taped it to the outside of my back door and gave my 4 year old a dry erase marker. I was able to make dinner in peace, thank you very much! Or just have your kid draw you a picture. Dry erase marker wipes off no problem!

Skype/Facetime/Call relatives – call up those relatives you won’t get a chance to see for a while, they’ll love hearing from you and the kids!

Exploding ninja star – This is a fun one kids of all ages will enjoy.  Jump over to my blog to see how they’re made. Basically you just toss them at something and they pop apart. I made a batch for the boys them let them either toss them at the tiger, the ground, or the wall. They have a blast with this, just be ready to keep making them again and again 🙂

 Indoor picnics – grab a blanket and have lunch in the middle of the floor picnic style to mix things up.

Have kid help with cooking – Get the kids involved in cooking lunch or dinner. It helps them develop coordination, appreciate their meal more, and starts an understanding of nutrition and what’s going into our bodies.

Building forts – blankets, couch cushions, anything you got will do.

Make cookies – make some cookies together and take them to a neighbor. Maybe some of Emily’s Ultimate Peanut Butter Cookies, how fabulous do these look?!

Lava floor – you know what I’m talking about. Everyone’s played this game! Use pillow cases or hand towels (safer for little kids than pillow – wouldn’t want a rolled ankle) to make a trail from one side of the room to the other. Hop from one to the next and get some exercise in too!

Indoor mall play place – does your local mall have an indoor play ground? We’ve resorted to that during record breaking heat when we just couldn’t get cool in the house.

Preschool learning activities – I just did a post about our favorite learning tools for preschoolers. We try to get some learning in during the summer too.

Bass Pro Shops – Another great indoor but out of the house option. Check and see if you have a Bass Pro Shops or similar store nearby. My boys love to go and see the big boats, the aquarium with fish, and the taxidermy animals.

Scavenger hunt – give the kids a list of things to find throughout the house and a basket to put the objects in. For older kids you could just give clues and make it a race.

Write a letter to a relative – dictating to a child learning to write helps them on so many levels.

Giant Jenga – Now this would be totally up to your discretion whether this is an indoor activity or not, but I made a giant Jenga set last year and played it with the 12-17 year olds at church and they loved it. Absolutely loved it! So this could be fun for older kids to play outside in the shade or inside if you’re really trusting 🙂

There you go, I hope there are enough ideas to keep the kids entertained this summer when you have to be inside! Come by and browse around for other fun kid’s ideas, cleaning and organizing tips, and natural health solutions.

Have a fun and wonderful summer!

Alex

Check out the fun posts from last week: